The words "respect" and "responsibility" are embedded in our values, and not just because they sound nice. We put them into practice everyday. We call it our Corporate Responsibility

Closeness is key

Listening and responding to the needs of our customers is what drives our work. The feedback that we get from end users is used in as input to the development and testing of new products and new services. For example, many have told us that discretion, security and convenience are very important. To accommodate this we’ve made products that don’t necessarily look like medical devices.

High standards

Our products are subject to tough quality requirements that follow key international legislation and standards. Coloplast is ISO 9001/ISO 13485 certified and we comply with legislation from the US FDA, the EU and other relevant authorities. We also document the safety of our products through several testing methods. One standard method in the healthcare industry is animal testing. In some cases these are necessary, so we can’t completely avoid them. However, we do try to limit them as much as possible as stated in our animal testing policy. In 2011/12 we conducted 921 animal tests.

Clinical Studies

New Coloplast products are evaluated thoroughly before being sent to the market. First, they are tested in the laboratory, including the use of computer models and cell research. If results are promising, the product might then be evaluated on humans in clinical studies.

Coloplast clinical studies are carefully planned to make sure that participants are protected and that the research yields valid results. The protocol – a detailed plan for the study – is reviewed and approved by an independent ethics committee before studies can go ahead. As outlined in our publication policy, our clinical studies are conducted in accordance with internationally accepted ethical and scientific quality standards such as the Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects.

We publish the results for summary results of all registered clinical studies for marketed products on www.clinicaltrials.gov within 12 months of study completion.

Quality control

Coloplast has an advanced set-up to control that our products of consistently high quality. Staff responsible for quality is involved in the development of new products and in improvements of existing products.

We systematically collect information about quality issues and feed this into our development and research processes. Our quality control furthermore extends to our supply chain, where a team of specialists monitors the quality of raw materials and contract production.

Safe use of our products

Coloplast is committed to informing users about the safe handling of our products. In our product information and on our website, we describe how Coloplast products should be used and how they can best help improve quality of life. We also illustrate the changes in life that often accompanies the start of using Coloplast products, and instruct users in the safe disposal of them.

Sponsorships and donations

In some cases, Coloplast provides financial support for patient organizations within our fields of expertise. We also support sport events, such as our sponsorship of rugby teams for wheelchair users.

Responsibilities to our employees

At Coloplast, we work in an engaging, collaborative environment – where ideas are shared freely. We cross geographies, cultures and markets to solve customer problems. We are proud of our dynamic workplace that fosters creativity, innovation, and collaboration.

Coloplast is committed to diversity and inclusion, offering a respectful work environment free from discrimination and harassment. Coloplast is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and maintains an Affirmative Action program, which means we employ and promote individuals based on their merits, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, citizen status, status with regards to public assistance or any other protected classification.

Healthcare Professionals

It is vital for Coloplast to listen to nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals and to involve them in the development and testing of new products and services.

Code of Conduct

When we interact with healthcare professionals questions may arise on what exactly is appropriate conduct. For example, "At what type of venue should a meeting be held?" Or, "What kind of gift should I give my nurse to thank her for her feedback?" Coloplast’s Code of Conduct outlines our approach to interacting with healthcare professionals and states that any relationship with healthcare professionals must be strictly professional and that we must respect their independence. Any support for travel, conferences, accommodation and so on must be modest. We must always make sure that any fee paid to healthcare professionals can never be perceived as a financial incentive.

Our people know the rules

We’re particularly proud of the massive coverage we’ve been able to achieve with our compliance training. Our mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning course for example has been made available in 15 languages in over 35 countries – and nearly 95% of our white-collar employees have now completed it.

Sponsorships and donations for health care professionals

Coloplast is dedicated to supporting the education of healthcare professionals in the fields relevant to our work, that is, ostomy, surgical urology, continence care, and wound and skin care. This includes sponsorships and donations to professional medical organizations as well as support for research, training seminars, educational materials and congressional participation.

For example, the Coloplast sponsored Dialogue Study is a global clinical study designed to document real-life experiences of Coloplast’s SenSura ostomy end-users, focusing on skin condition and quality of life. The Dialogue Study aims to enroll 5,000 patients worldwide, making it the largest clinical study ever undertaken in ostomy care.

A basic principle of Coloplast donations to healthcare professionals is that it should be strictly professional and that we must respect the independence of the healthcare professionals. Accepting donations from Coloplast always means no strings attached.

Our growth as a company doesn't mean a larger global footprint

From the moment we start developing a new product, we consider the environment. We continuously evaluate our product development process to ensure it has the lowest environmental impact possible. Our choices in raw materials and methods of production and disposal help reduce the impact on the environment:

Raw materials

Being mindful of our choices of raw materials is where we see our biggest environmental impact. Commonly used materials include oil to make plastic and aluminum for packaging. We reduce our use of raw materials as much as possible.

Production

When it comes to product production, energy efficiency is key. This year, we achieved an absolute CO2 reduction of 3% from our production facilities and warehouses. We've set an ambitious target to reduce our CO2 output by 10% by 2013/14 (with a baseline from 2010). Among our other ambitions is to reduce the amount of product we transport by air. This change by itself is expected to reduce our CO2 emissions by 4,000 tons.

Disposal

Due to infection risks, we do not recommend recycling products. However, this doesn't mean that we don't do our part. We focus on reducing the amount of production waste, and when when it's possible, we recycle. This year we've reduced the amount of waste per product by 10%

Environmental Awareness from the start

During product development, we assess the environmental impact of the materials and processes we are using. We often succeed in finding new ways of doing things that reduce environmental impact.

We carry out a so-called lifecycle screening, assessing the environmental impact of our products from production to use and disposal, including related issues such as transport and packaging.

Our environmental specialists work alongside engineers and pharmacists during product development, they advise the development team and make suggestions for materials, chemicals and designs based on environmental considerations.

Plastic isn't just plastic

We develop, manufacture and market medical devices for people with intimate healthcare needs. Plastic is a suitable material for many of these products because it is flexible, lightweight and impervious. Plastic is also useful for packaging our products as it keeps out dirt and bacteria.

We take into consideration a wide range of environmental factors:

Raw materials

Most plastics are made from natural resources that can only be renewed slowly, such as crude oil and natural gas, so we try to make the most of the raw materials we use and avoid waste.

Manufacturing

The materials our suppliers use to manufacture certain types of plastic can be hazardous if handled incorrectly. We assess our supply chain to make sure that workplaces are safe.

Additives

Additives help make our products flexible, noise and odor-free, and enable us to provide a wide range of tailored product choices. The use of some additives is controversial, such as DEHP, a plasticizer used in PVC. We no longer permit the use of DEHP in new product development. DEHP-free Coloplast products include the popular SpeediCath catheter and Security+ urine bags.

Responsibilities to our suppliers

Coloplast employees involved in procurement must abide by the Code of Conduct for procurement, which outlines our approach to avoiding bribes and describes questions of confidentiality, conflict of interest, negotiations, gifts and personal benefits.

Before engaging with a new supplier, we ask the supplier to fill out a pre-award questionnaire, covering key areas of our responsibility policies. Our purchasers also occasionally conduct site visits, which provide an opportunity for us to help suppliers live up to Coloplast’s standards. In other words, dialogue is our main tool.

In addition to site visits, Coloplast conducts formal supplier audits with the intent to document compliance or non-compliance with our quality, environmental and social standards. Typically, quality audits are conducted by Coloplast employees while an external auditor conducts the social and environmental audits.